A Pinay mom (and grandmom!) from Cavite and Rizal blogs on her insights & anecdotes about her Filipino family life, home, motherhood, parenting, lifestyle, health, home & fitness tips, entertainment, current issues and more...

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Rant Rant! Rant! The traffic here in Metro Manila is just unbelievable! The price of gas continues to go up and it is every motorist's wish to save on its usage. But.How.Can.We if traffic within the metropolis is a nightmare?

I have long ago dissected the cause of heavy traffic in Metro Manila. One: the traffic enforcers (the local traffic enforcers of each municipality/city) are just plain incompetent and unqualified. Did these enforcers go to traffic schools or seminars?: or were they just tapped on their shoulders and unceremoniously ordained traffic aids by the Barangay captain? This afternoon, the traffic aid in my third-world-municipality's major intersection, once again signaled opposing lanes to GO simultaneously!Again, turmoil happened and a lot of curses were directed to the traffic aid. I have read that the average educational attainment of these traffic aids is grade three.

Second: undisciplined drivers of both private and public vehicles. It is a nightmare to drive along main thoroughfares as zig-zagging in the road is a favorite activity of the majority of Filipino drivers. Never mind the sometimes non-existent traffic lines on the road. A Filipino driver just have to change lane every minute, come hell or high water. Slow drivers hug the fast lane. Fast drivers overtake slow ones at the right side. Motorcycles cut through cars and buses. Public transports load and unload anywhere, anytime, any day. It is sheer miracle not to meet a road accident.

Third: undisciplined pedestrians. Metro Manila municipalities took a big dip on their budget in constructing overpasses and underpasses for pedestrians. Most of these constructions even have escalators and elevators for the pedestrians' ease. But do majority use the structures? No! They chooses to flirt and play with death against passing cars.

It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to my destination. The sun was cruelly hot so the car air conditioner was in full blast. The heavy traffic and the seemingly hot temperature made my car consume more gasoline than usual. Add to that the thirst that i just have to quench with a large light coke (with an order of nuggets on the side), I spent 870.00 Php to drive my son to varsity practice.